Worth It - An ATC to The Wreckers
by singerme
Summary: Monk Wiley died while Matt was gone. Kitty was left alone with Tate Crocker and his men. What did Matt think when he returned to find that out.


Worth It – An ATC to The Wreckers

I don't own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had than that.

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Kitty snuck a look over at Matt as he rode alongside the buggy carrying her and Eli. Though he was saying nothing, she could tell by his steely gaze and the rigid set of his shoulders that he was upset. She didn't blame him, really. She was upset herself. Two days with a band of outlaws would do that to you. But she knew, it was more than that. A lot more.

When they finally arrived in Dodge, Matt dropped Eli and Indio off at the jail, leaving them in Festus' capable hands and then personally escorted her to Doc's office. Although she protested, telling him that Doc had already examined her and had wrapped her broken rib, Matt ignored her objection and ushered her up there anyway.

Very few words were spoken between the two, as Doc once again examined Kitty and then Matt. "Well, I think you're both pretty lucky." Doc took a swipe of his mustache. "You could've been hurt a lot worse than you were. Of course, that doesn't mean you can just ignore those injuries. I don't want either one of you lifting anything heavy for a while and I want you both to get some rest."

"Thank you, Doc. We will." Kitty smiled at him, glancing over at Matt. "You ready to go, Cowboy?"

Matt nodded and quickly took her arm as he held the door for her. "I'll walk you over to the Long Branch." As she slipped through the door, Matt looked back at Doc, the question plainly on his face.

"She's alright." Doc said quietly. "I promise you."

Matt nodded and followed Kitty out and down the staircase. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Kitty threaded her arm into his and leaned close. "I really am alright, Matt." Pleading azure eyes looked earnestly up into worried blue eyes. "Honestly, Matt. They didn't do anything."

Bringing them to a halt, Matt dropped her arm. "Kitty, …" He stopped and looked around. "Come on." He took her arm again. "Let's go somewhere to talk."

"How about my rooms?" Kitty smiled up at him.

Matt took another look around, then back down at Kitty and nodded. "Alright." He agreed as he led her on to the Long Branch, holding the batwing doors for her to enter first. Once inside, he reclaimed her arm and shepherded her to the staircase, following her up.

Kitty didn't question or say a word. She knew where his concern was and what he was thinking. She had, after all, been alone with Tate Crocker and his band of ruffians for some time after Monk Wiley died. They could have done anything to her and she'd not have been able to stop them. But they hadn't, at least not in that way.

But she needed to convince Matt of that.

Once inside the safety and privacy of her rooms, Kitty took off her black cape and draped it across the back of a chair. "Would you like a drink?" She asked as she stepped over to the small table containing a decanter of brandy and some glasses.

"Yeah," he nodded, taking off his hat and tossing it down on her dresser before taking a seat on the settee.

Kitty quickly poured them both a drink and handed a glass to Matt. Sitting carefully next to him, so as to jar her ribs as little as possible, she took a drink of her brandy, before setting the glass down and reaching for his hand. "I meant what I said, Matt. They DID NOT touch me. Not that way."

Matt picked up on the words. "Not that way? Then they did hurt you though?"

Kitty shook her head. "That's not what I meant, Matt. I meant…"

"You meant, they hurt you but they didn't rape you." Matt's voice rose as did he, pacing towards the window and looking absently out at the midday traffic on the dusty streets of Dodge.

"NO!" Kitty rose with him. "Matt, please. Listen to me." She took his hand and tugged. "When Wiley told Crocker that he wasn't you, and Crocker realized what we'd done, he was mad. Very mad. And for a little bit there, I admit I was scared, he would do something to me. But he didn't. Eli actually talked him out it, if you can believe that."

"Eli?" Matt looked over at her, trying to envision the bespectacled little man with the nervous twitch standing up for anyone, much less a law man's woman.

Kitty nodded. "He knew if Tate hurt me, I wouldn't be able to ride back here for their money. Money can give even the most timid man courage."

As he searched her face, Matt saw the truth there and for the first time since Crocker and his band of ruffians had taken them, he relaxed. "I was worried, Kitty. When I realized that Monk had died and then I looked in that bedroom and saw you handcuffed to that bed…"

"They just wanted to make sure I didn't try to escape while you were gone." She hurriedly reassured him. "Crocker was a fool in a lot of ways, but he wasn't a complete fool. He knew if I could, I'd try to get away and get to you before you got back to that cabin. He could tell how I felt about you."

Matt dropped her hand and turned back to the window, running a hand through his hair. "That's the problem." He muttered. "That's always the problem."

Kitty's brow crinkled. "What's the problem? What do you mean?"

"I mean you care about me, Kitty." Matt turned away and paced absently about the room. "You care too damn much. Tate Crocker saw that and so has quite a few other people. It will get you hurt some day, Kitty. It will get you hurt bad and I don't know that I could stand that. You shouldn't ever have to face someone like Tate Crocker because of me. It's not worth it. I'm not worth it."

He turned to look at her, framed softly in the diffused light coming in through the window. For just a second his heart stilled as he gazed upon the woman that so firmly held his heart in her soft hands. Shaking his head, he turned away. "Maybe you should leave, Kitty. Maybe it'd be better if you just left here. Left me."

"Matt Dillon, don't you dare!" Blue eyes blazed as she marched over to him and grabbed his arms. "I never, ever want to hear you say that again. Now, we've had this conversation before and I am personally very, very tired of it. I love you, Matt. I always have. I can't leave here, don't you understand that? I can't leave you. I can't..."

Her voice hitched as a tear escaped her defenses and rolled slowly down her cheek. "Please." She begged. "Please don't ever ask me to do that. I couldn't stand that, Matt. I couldn't."

Matt turned back to her and without a thought reached out and pulled her to him, his mouth crashing down onto hers. The kiss, tender at first, turned passionate and for several moments, both the Marshal and his lady were caught up in it. When their lips finally parted, Matt once again studied her face. "You could be hurt." He tried once more.

"I could be hurt falling down the stairs." She retorted. "But as long as I'm with you, as long as we are together, it'd be worth it. WE are worth it."

"I guess we are." He finally admitted, as his hand wiped a stray tear still clinging to her cheek.

"I KNOW we are." She smiled as he bent his head to hers once more.

The End


End file.
